The Los Angeles Angels decided to fire manager Joe Maddon on Tuesday after his team lost 12 straight games, going from a 27-17 record to a 27-29 one.
Phil Nevin was appointed as the interim manager, and they should roll with him for the rest of the season.
Nevin’s first game in charge resulted in a loss, so the Angels’ losing streak is up to 13 games.
It’s hard to envision a team with Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani dropping 13 contests in a row, but here we are.
But Nevin’s Angels actually started last night’s game winning 2-0 against the Boston Red Sox, thanks to Ohtani and Trout.
That actually prompted a hilarious joke by Jeff Fletcher, who covers the Angels for the SoCal News Group.
“Phil Nevin is a genius. He gave Shohei Ohtani the “hit a double” sign and then told Mike Trout to “hit a two-run homer.” The Angels are up 2-0 in the 1st,” he tweeted.
Phil Nevin is a genius.
He gave Shohei Ohtani the "hit a double" sign and then told Mike Trout to "hit a two-run homer."
The Angels are up 2-0 in the 1st.
— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) June 8, 2022
The Angels Are In An Uncomfortable Position
Some people criticized Maddon for different things, but in reality, his job would have been made easier if Trout and Ohtani were consistent producers during the last few weeks, and if the pitching options available for him were consistently getting outs.
There are only so many things a manager can control.
In the end, Boston ended up prevailing, 6-5.
In any case, we will need more time to evaluate Nevin as a manager and determine if Maddon was a part of the problem.
If things weren’t bad enough already, Trout left Tuesday’s game with groin tightness.
He should be fine in a few days, but he was just starting to produce after an ugly 0-for-26 slump.
In any case, the Angels will need to start stringing together wins if they are thinking about making the playoffs.
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